azerizen
New member
Hi gang,
I joined up with SA yesterday (one of the best sites I've found!), but have been sweeping for a little over 2 months. So I guess I'm a toddler newbie.
A little about me: I moved to Lexington, KY over 10 years ago to work in the Thoroughbred industry. Previously I'd lived in Houston and worked for HP, so the horse business was totally new to me, though I developed a love for horse racing (and off-the-track rescue and retirement) a few years before. I'd visited Lexington a handful of times and absolutely fell in love. I also met (and kissed!) 7 Kentucky Derby winning horses, and made a special trip for Seattle Slew's memorial. I landed a job in the office of a very nice horse farm, worked there for 2.5 years, but got burnt out on the business (and my boss was a micro-managing jerko). I took some time off, then worked in the legal sector for a bit, and for the last 3 years, I've been in the healthcare industry. *whew* I get tired just thinking about the last decade.
Back in 2006, I don't really even know why, I joined up with one of those automated sweeps services for a yearly fee (any of you remember Acuwin?) which I later discovered was a scam and we weren't being entered into anything (at least that's what I heard). I guess I should've been suspicious that I never got any confirmation emails or additional spam after joining. And that I never won a thing, not even a coupon. I had no idea that automated entries were even "illegal" because I took the easy way and didn't do my research properly. Live and learn! (I did have fun on the forums though!)
Then this year, being worried about the stability of my job (we're in a sinking ship) and trying to save money and earn extra money/gift cards via Swagbucks, Cashcrate, etc. and samples from freebie sites, I stumbled onto sweeping again. So I started casually playing around in mid-May, mostly with instant wins. I didn't think anyone really won anything, and I probably would've given up...but then I won a koozie from Corona, and a few days later I won a Twix music download, then a soccer ball from Mondelez...wow! So I started sticking with it and making it a daily "thing." So far I've won 19 prizes (excluding digital stuff like wallpaper, printable cents off coupons) worth nearly $100. The soccer ball was the highest ARV item so far ($12), and my other fave win was mascara from Physician's Formula. I have gotten either item yet, but woot!
I usually spend about 15-20 minutes in the evenings after work going through a set list, more on weekends or when I'm restless/bored. Most days I come up empty, but I usually have an instant win at least once a week. I get excited about wee prizes like candy bars and music downloads! A lot of times, I prefer the little prizes to the biggies. Of course, I would love to win a bunch of cash or a huge gift card, a trip or a new car, but odds are I won't...but I will keep entering because you never know. My best day was 3 IWs. My biggest slump so far was 2 weeks, then I went 7 days the other week, and currently I'm nearing an 8 day slump. I try not to think that I "deserve" a win, so much as I'm "due" a win. I get totally jazzed by gift cards, even though they're only $5-10 each, which I will tuck away for a rainy day (i.e. my Mopar Dairy Queen $5 card, iTunes $5 credit from Slurpee). The others I'm still waiting on ($10 Dollar General, Mars prepaid $5 debit, $10 AutoZone). It's like Christmas when I go to the mailbox some days!
Aside from my job and sweeping, I adore animals (I have a pug and 2 cats), reading, PC games like Zuma's Revenge, Ranch Rush, Plants v. Zombies, Peggle, and Return to Castle Wolfenstein (don't have a gaming system...YET), Netflix, music, writing, humor (the darker the better, although I am also prone to silliness), Diet Coke Sweepstakes, coffee, beer and cigs. Not much the "outdoorsy" type, though I'm an armchair traveler (love books on mountain climbing and expeditions...especially the man vs. extreme elements type: Perfect Storm, Alive, Into Thin Air, etc) I also have AMAZING dreams. Today, during my Sunday nap, I dreamt my mailbox was overflowing with packages! Several looked like they had been packaged by prisoners though (too much tape in odd places and overzealous Sharpie-use). In reality, I got zero mail yesterday. Not even a flyer for the local gym. *sigh* But there's always tomorrow...
I look forward to getting to know the rest of you sweepie goofballs!
I joined up with SA yesterday (one of the best sites I've found!), but have been sweeping for a little over 2 months. So I guess I'm a toddler newbie.
A little about me: I moved to Lexington, KY over 10 years ago to work in the Thoroughbred industry. Previously I'd lived in Houston and worked for HP, so the horse business was totally new to me, though I developed a love for horse racing (and off-the-track rescue and retirement) a few years before. I'd visited Lexington a handful of times and absolutely fell in love. I also met (and kissed!) 7 Kentucky Derby winning horses, and made a special trip for Seattle Slew's memorial. I landed a job in the office of a very nice horse farm, worked there for 2.5 years, but got burnt out on the business (and my boss was a micro-managing jerko). I took some time off, then worked in the legal sector for a bit, and for the last 3 years, I've been in the healthcare industry. *whew* I get tired just thinking about the last decade.
Back in 2006, I don't really even know why, I joined up with one of those automated sweeps services for a yearly fee (any of you remember Acuwin?) which I later discovered was a scam and we weren't being entered into anything (at least that's what I heard). I guess I should've been suspicious that I never got any confirmation emails or additional spam after joining. And that I never won a thing, not even a coupon. I had no idea that automated entries were even "illegal" because I took the easy way and didn't do my research properly. Live and learn! (I did have fun on the forums though!)
Then this year, being worried about the stability of my job (we're in a sinking ship) and trying to save money and earn extra money/gift cards via Swagbucks, Cashcrate, etc. and samples from freebie sites, I stumbled onto sweeping again. So I started casually playing around in mid-May, mostly with instant wins. I didn't think anyone really won anything, and I probably would've given up...but then I won a koozie from Corona, and a few days later I won a Twix music download, then a soccer ball from Mondelez...wow! So I started sticking with it and making it a daily "thing." So far I've won 19 prizes (excluding digital stuff like wallpaper, printable cents off coupons) worth nearly $100. The soccer ball was the highest ARV item so far ($12), and my other fave win was mascara from Physician's Formula. I have gotten either item yet, but woot!
I usually spend about 15-20 minutes in the evenings after work going through a set list, more on weekends or when I'm restless/bored. Most days I come up empty, but I usually have an instant win at least once a week. I get excited about wee prizes like candy bars and music downloads! A lot of times, I prefer the little prizes to the biggies. Of course, I would love to win a bunch of cash or a huge gift card, a trip or a new car, but odds are I won't...but I will keep entering because you never know. My best day was 3 IWs. My biggest slump so far was 2 weeks, then I went 7 days the other week, and currently I'm nearing an 8 day slump. I try not to think that I "deserve" a win, so much as I'm "due" a win. I get totally jazzed by gift cards, even though they're only $5-10 each, which I will tuck away for a rainy day (i.e. my Mopar Dairy Queen $5 card, iTunes $5 credit from Slurpee). The others I'm still waiting on ($10 Dollar General, Mars prepaid $5 debit, $10 AutoZone). It's like Christmas when I go to the mailbox some days!
Aside from my job and sweeping, I adore animals (I have a pug and 2 cats), reading, PC games like Zuma's Revenge, Ranch Rush, Plants v. Zombies, Peggle, and Return to Castle Wolfenstein (don't have a gaming system...YET), Netflix, music, writing, humor (the darker the better, although I am also prone to silliness), Diet Coke Sweepstakes, coffee, beer and cigs. Not much the "outdoorsy" type, though I'm an armchair traveler (love books on mountain climbing and expeditions...especially the man vs. extreme elements type: Perfect Storm, Alive, Into Thin Air, etc)
I also have AMAZING dreams. Today, during my Sunday nap, I dreamt my mailbox was overflowing with packages! Several looked like they had been packaged by prisoners though (too much tape in odd places and overzealous Sharpie-use). In reality, I got zero mail yesterday. Not even a flyer for the local gym. *sigh* But there's always tomorrow...I look forward to getting to know the rest of you sweepie goofballs!